How We Calculate Processing Times

All processing time data published on EB5Status originates from the USCIS Processing Times Tool at egov.uscis.gov/processing-times. This is a government publication and carries the Blue (Official) trust tier.

USCIS updates the Processing Times Tool approximately once per month. A daily automated job captures the tool's published values (via the jzebedee/uscis mirror of the USCIS API) into our processing_time_snapshots archive, so a new USCIS publication normally appears on EB5Status within a day. Quarterly completed-case medians come from a second source, the USCIS quarterly all-forms report.

USCIS publishes two distinct processing-time metrics, and EB5Status always labels which one is shown:

When we display a processing-time range on EB5Status, it is the tool 80% band exactly as published. When we display a median, it is the quarterly completed-case median with its period named. The two are never blended.

We track the following USCIS form types relevant to the EB-5 program:

Where USCIS breaks down processing times by service center (e.g., Texas Service Center vs. California Service Center), we track each center independently and present the data separately. We do not combine or average service center figures.

We present USCIS processing time ranges exactly as published. We do not modify, average, smooth, or round the official figures. Every processing time displayed on EB5Status carries the Blue (Official) trust tier, indicating it comes directly from a government agency publication.

When non-official sources provide additional context, such as AIIA FOIA data (USCIS records obtained via FOIA) on category-level filing and adjudication counts, we may include them. These are always labeled clearly with the Yellow (Estimated) trust tier and are presented separately from official USCIS figures. They are counts, not processing-time ranges, and are never blended with or substituted for official data.

For a complete explanation of how trust tiers work, see our Trust Tier Definitions page.

We archive daily captures of the USCIS Processing Times Tool in our processing_time_snapshots dataset. This capture history allows practitioners and researchers to see when USCIS changed a published range and by how much.

Free accounts access the full capture archive, including the ability to compare how published ranges moved between USCIS publications.

Our Data Update Schedule page documents our specific freshness commitments for processing time data.

We believe in being explicit about what processing time data can and cannot tell you. The following limitations apply to all processing time figures published on EB5Status:

• •Retrospective, not predictive. USCIS processing times are calculated from completed cases. They reflect how long past adjudications took, not how long your case will take. Current queue conditions, staffing changes, and policy shifts may cause actual processing to differ significantly from published figures.
• •RFE clock pauses are excluded. When USCIS issues a Request for Evidence (RFE), the processing clock pauses until the response is received. Published processing times do not account for this pause, meaning cases that received RFEs may have experienced significantly longer total wait times than the published range suggests.
• •Rural processing advantages are policy, not guarantee. The EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act (RIA) directs USCIS to prioritize rural and high unemployment area petitions. While this has resulted in faster processing for these categories to date, the specific timeline advantage is a policy commitment subject to change, not a statutory guarantee.
• •Service center assignments vary. USCIS may reassign petition types between service centers. When this happens, historical comparisons across centers may not be directly meaningful.

Processing Times Overview | Current processing times for all EB-5 form types.

Current Processing Times Data | The latest monthly snapshot with trend indicators.

Full Methodology | Our complete data methodology, including trust tiers, confidence labels, and calculation descriptions.